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The scale of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s security detail on their four-day tour of Colombia has been revealed.
Having landed in the country’s capital of Bogotá on Thursday, the pair wasted little time in greeting Francia Marquez, Colombia’s vice president, where they enjoyed lunch and discussed their goals for the visit including championing online safety.
Despite the seemingly relaxed first encounter, the Sussexes landed in a country going through some political turmoil with the government accused in some quarters of using the former working royals as “political pawns” to obscure a string of corruption allegations.
In light of this, the duke and duchess were reported to have been assigned an “immense security presence” with a “14 car and police van convoys”, according to a reporter covering the trip.
Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s trip comes as the timeline for the Princess of Wales’s ongoing cancer treatment has been revealed.
She will continue to receive “preventative chemotherapy” over the summer to treat an undisclosed form of the disease before spending some months recovering
“The direction is positive [but] there will not be great change [in terms of her public appearances] and no one is giving a timescale for her return,” the Daily Mail’s royal editor Rebecca English said.
Harry and Meghan to meet with Colombian Invictus team today
This will undoubtedly be of huge personal significance for Harry, 39, as it is the only participating team from Latin America.
The sporting event, founded in 2014, celebrates the abilities of wounded, sick and injured service people.
Emma Guinness16 August 2024 15:00
Prince Harry says ‘information integrity is a fundamental right'
“With the Archewell Foundation, me and my wife believe that information integrity is a fundamental right,” Prince Harry said.
“We should model how we want our kids to be raised and for the world in which we raise them,” Meghan added. “It doesn’t matter where you live. It doesn’t matter who you are. Either you personally or someone you know is a victim to what’s happening online. And that’s something we can actively work on every day to remedy.”
The couple’s statement comes after they recently expressed their concerns for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet as they grow up in the digital world.
It also comes after Prince Harry recently said he will not bring Meghan to the UK because he fears “a knife or acid attack” inspired by negative tabloid stories.
Emma Guinness16 August 2024 14:00
Colombian vice president ‘moved’ by Harry and Meghan’s Netflix documentary
Referring to Meghan specifically, Francia Marquez, the first black woman to ever hold her office, said: “I saw the Netflix series about their life, their story and that moved me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story and her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment to so many women in the world.”
The pair were photographed embracing after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in the capital of Bogotá yesterday.
Emma Guinness16 August 2024 13:00
Author says meeting Harry and Meghan was ‘an honour'
Taking to Twitter/X, Trisha Prabhu wrote alongside a series of pictures: “It was an honour to participate in the Foro Futuro Digital Responsable in Bogota alongside Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the Vice President of Colombia, and @mariaressa!
“As we discussed, with youth voices leading the way, we can build a better internet.”
It was an honor to participate in the Foro Futuro Digital Responsable in Bogota alongside Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the Vice President of Colombia, and @mariaressa! As we discussed, with youth voices leading the way, we can build a better internet. pic.twitter.com/aBq73hwgle
— Trisha Prabhu (@TrishPrabhu) August 16, 2024
Emma Guinness16 August 2024 12:00
This comes after they recently expressed their fears for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet as they grow up in an online world.
Emma Guinness16 August 2024 11:00
Meghan Markle tells online trolls to remember ‘what your grandmother taught you’
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, urged people to think about how they were raised before using the internet to be cruel to others.
She said: “Maybe your grandmother used to say to you, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.’”
Emma Guinness16 August 2024 10:00
Prince Harry ‘scared and uncertain’ about development of AI
The Duke of Sussex, 39, made the comments on the first day of his unofficial tour of Colombia, where he and Meghan Markle discussed the dangers of the internet – and by extension technology – on a school visit promoting digital responsibility.
“What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isn’t true,” the duke said.
“It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake.
“In an ideal world, those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts.
“For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down.”
Harry, who has spoken candidly about the online abuse he and his wife have faced, concluded that “education and awareness” is the key to overcoming the problem.
Emma Guinness16 August 2024 09:00
Harry and Meghan to meet with Colombian Invictus team
This will undoubtedly be a meeting of huge significance for Harry, 39, who founded the games in 2014, as Colombia is the only Latin American country represented at Invictus.
The event celebrates the sporting abilities of wounded, sick or injured service people.
Emma Guinness16 August 2024 08:00
Harry and Meghan begin tour of Colombia
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been welcomed to Colombia as they began their four-day tour of the South American nation.
Harry and Meghan were met in the capital Bogota on Thursday by Colombia’s vice-president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo.
They spent around half-an-hour at the vice-president’s residence, where they exchanged welcome gifts and were offered tea, coffee and traditional pandebono – Colombian cheese bread.
The Sussexes are being given a full security detail throughout their visit alongside Ms Marquez, who invited the couple to travel to Colombia for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour.
Athena Stavrou16 August 2024 07:47
Kate Middleton’s recovery remains ‘a priority'
An insider told the Daily Mail’s Rebecca English: “I don’t think people realise how much she has gone through behind the scenes and for how long, far longer than anyone actually appreciates.
“She’s an incredibly strong woman, but she really has been through the wars.
“Her treatment and recovery is still a priority and will be ongoing for some time to come.”
The princess announced her cancer diagnosis in March and made her first public appearance of the year at Trooping the Colour in June.
Emma Guinness16 August 2024 06:00